William j



(Nb Model.)

' w. J. STOWELL.

MAIL BAG. No. 259,239. I Patented June6, 1882.

UNIT ED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

WILLIAM J. STOWELL, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO DANIEL G. HEDDINGER OF JAMES AND J. W. LINDAN, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

' MAIL-BAG.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 259,239, dated June 6, 18 82.

' Applicationfiled April 22,1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. SrowELL, of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail Pouches or Bags; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the open end of my improved mail-pouch, showing its swiveleyes, its elongated eyelets, staples, and lapped corners. 'Fig. 2 is a front view of the pouch with its mouth closed and securely fastened by a lock and chain.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements on mail-bags, or what are denominated in the postal mail-service as pouches. These pouches are usually made of leather, and their months are secured by means of straps passed through staples, which are attached to the pouches and fastened by detachable locks. My object is not only to secure the mouths of mail-pouches safely, but also to combine in a permanent manner in a pouch all of the means required to obtain security in the closing of their mouths or ends, and in addition thereto to afford greater facilities for the handling of the pouches in the distributionof the mail and in fastening andunfasteningthem both in postoffices and on board of railroad postal-cars, as will be understood from the following description, when taken in connection with the annexed drawings.

The pouch A is preferably made of leather;

but it may be made of any other flexible material, and it may be made of any desired size. The mouth of this pouchis composed of a'fiap or overlapping portion, B, terminating at its ends in double thickness of material, forming corner-seals O O, which lap over the front side of the bag with the main intermediate portion of the flap B, as shown in Fig. 2, and effectually prevent'mail-matter from being purloined from the pouch at.its corners without cutting the pouch. These corner-seals or double-lapping corners O 0 not only afford security against thieves, but they greatly strengthen and render more durable the pouch at these points.

Along the front part of the pouch, which I shall call the breast and letter D, is a row of swivel-eyes, a, arranged at safe distances apart, and so applied to plates that are secured to both sides of the breast that they (the eyes) can be turned freely and adjusted either as shown in Fig. 1 or as shown in Fig. 2. Near the corners of the pouch, and secured rigidly to the breast of the bag, are strong staples b I). The swivel-eyes pass through oblong eyelets c 0, formed in metal plates secured near the edge of the flap or lapping portion B when this flap is closed over the breast, as shown in Fig. 2, in which position the eyes are turned at right angles to the elongated eyelets, as shown in this figure last referred to, thereby locking the flap closely to the breast. The staple b passes through eyelets I), made through the two thicknesses of one of the corner-seals G, and the staple 1) passes through an eyelet made through one of the thicknesses of a corner-seal G, and also through an eyelet or slot made through an open extension of the case of a lock, E, which is securely riveted to the outside ofthe flap B, the rivets passing through a metal plate, at, on the inside of this flap, as

shown in Fig. 1.

G designates a chain, which is strongly fastened to the back of the pouch near the corner, to which staple b is secured. This chain has an arrow-head bolt, g, secured to its free end, which, when the flap B is adjusted on the eyes and staples, is passed through these eyes and staples (carrying with it the chain) and en gaged with the lock E by simply thrusting the arrow-head into the lock. The lock is of the self-engaging. kind, and requires a key to release the bolt and chain.

At the middle of the length of the flap B, and permanently secured to it, is a metal labelholder, J, consisting of a plate having grooved jawsff, a fixed label-stop at one end, and a spring-stop,i,attheopposite end. Thespringstop allows a label, J, to be readily inserted into theholder. The label thus combined with the pouch is in a conspicuous place for indicating the destination of the fastened pouch, and the slip or label is easily removed for substituting another in the holder by simply depressing the spring-stop 2'. When the mouth of the pouch is opened and the pouch is hung upon hooks by four straps, L L, attached to its front and back sides, the flap B is turned inward, thereby again exposing to view the 5 label in the label-holder J, and indicating at a glance to the person distributing mail-matter the proper pouch in which to put it.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by 10 Letters Patent, is-

ners,intcrmediate swivel-eyes, a chain or flexible strap and a lock therefor, which is permanently secured to the pouch and adapted to receive through its case the staple b, substantially in the manner and for the purposes dc- 2 scribed.

3. In a mail bag or pouch having a lock permanently secured to it, the combination of the staple I) and the extension of the lock, having a slot or eye through it for the passage of the 0 staple to receive the locking-chain, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. STOVVELL.

\Vitnesses SAMUEL E. KIRK, WALTER S. ADAMS. 

